How to teach a child to count: techniques, games, tips

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

How to teach a child to count is a question that worries absolutely all mothers. Some children are ready for this learning process as early as 2 years old, others need time to mature.

Despite the large number of effective techniques that help the baby in mastering numbers, it should be remembered that new knowledge should bring joy. Classes should not be long, and it is best if they take place in a playful way.

Explaining the concepts of numbers

Before you start teaching your child to count, you need to explain to the baby what “one” and “many” are. Tell us about what you saw, for example, there are cars in the yard. Count them together with the baby. Of course, the child will not immediately understand the essence, but regular explanations will soon give excellent results.

Usually, by the age of 3, children are aware of such things, and at the age of four they can already answer the question, for example: “How many candies do I have in my hand?”. Do not be disappointed if the baby answers instead of quantitythe word "a lot". For his age, this is considered normal, and you should not worry about this.

How to teach a child numbers

Before you teach your child numbers, you need to understand that some children are capable of such learning at 2 years old, while others need a little more time to grow up.

Teaching a child numbers and counting is a difficult process that requires consistency, patience and effective techniques. With an integrated approach, the result is sure to be. Do not be upset if the baby shows indifference to numbers and is not interested in learning. Sooner or later, the baby will tune in to the development of science. But the main thing for parents is to periodically stir up interest in the lesson.

Illustrative example

After you have succeeded in teaching the child to count, you should begin to study the numbers. Can be shown on objects: four dice, two apples or one ball.

Electronic posters with numbers are great for learning. It is interesting for children to press buttons with pictures, each of which has a specific number. This method is perceived by the baby as a game, which means that learning will be more entertaining and successful.

In addition, there are a lot of toys that introduce the baby to numbers and geometric shapes, and sometimes colors at the same time, thanks to this combination, the process of logical development takes place.

Learning counting up to 10

The main rule of this technique is to teach in the game. On a walk, you can count trees, birds, cats, dogs and children withparents. At home, you can count sweets, cookies or toys together.

Children from 3 years of age are especially amenable to such training, so it will not be difficult to learn how to teach a child to count at this age up to 10. But even if the child has mastered such an account well enough, it is necessary to regularly fix the result with repetitions.

Parents should take into account that young children cannot think abstractly, so it is so important to link numbers to specific details, things and objects.

Learning counting up to 20

Once the child has mastered the count to 10, you can move on to 20. Educators recommend a technique that, in their opinion, can help the baby master complex concepts. But before moving on to learning, you need to make sure that the little student understands the material covered earlier and can easily count to ten.

Method step by step:

1. Learning the name of the second ten numbers.
2. We take two sets of identical cubes of 10 pieces.
3. Let's ask the kid to put 10 objects in a row and explain that this is one dozen called "twenty".
4. After put another cube on top. Thus, explaining to the baby that the number 11 is obtained, respectively, “one” plus “twenty” turns out to be eleven.
5. Repeat the same action with the next dice, explaining in parallel that "three" plus "twenty" makes thirteen, etc.
6. As soon as the baby counts to nineteen, you can proceed to the next stage of the count.

How to teach a child to count? Techniques should be applied in a variety of ways, and trainingshould not be delayed for a long period. It is enough from 30 to 60 minutes a day for the kid to work through the acquired knowledge and not overload his thinking.

Mastering the account up to 100

Often, children cannot master counting up to 20 right away, the same problem applies to learning numbers up to 100. Try to clearly and clearly explain to the baby that the numbers of the first ten are simply repeated. Show on objects ten and one, two and "twenty" and so on. Once children begin to understand the principle, the matter remains small.

Pedagogy recommends methods that offer parents help not only in how to teach a child to count quickly, but also how to do it mentally:

1. Using any items. You can use purchased toys from the “learning numbers” category, it also works well on improvised items. The process is exciting, and children appreciate it the most.
2. Child counts on fingers. The most popular method used by most mothers. The only rule to be observed is the combination of the method with others. Since when learning, a child may have a relationship between a number and a specific finger.
3. Application of techniques from books that develop thinking and teach counting. The works of the popular author Zemtsova O. won recognition from many parents. The principle of studying numbers and counting is to combine several development zones at the same time, due to which results are achieved much earlier.

Mental arithmetic in learning is a very laborious process, but only after masteringit can go to the mental counting stage.

Make it harder

When the baby has mastered the account, it is necessary to complicate the tasks, this contributes to the development of thinking. Put the toys in a row and ask the child where the doll, bunny or mouse sits. The answer will follow: “The mouse is in fifth place, and the doll is in second.”

At preschool age, you can ask your child to count backwards (10-9-8-8-6-5…). After mastering this technique, you can lay out the cubes, skipping some numbers. The child must identify and say which number is missing.

Use children's abacus, sticks and other toy instruments. This approach makes learning visual, which is very important for the overall process.

Number games

All children love outdoor games. Despite the fact that the learning process fades into the background, it does not lose its value.

Popular number games:

1. Looking for a house. All participants are given cards, which show the number of items of the same type. Children run around and after the signal, each child must take the chair with the corresponding number.
2. Actions on the account. The host of the competition says how many times the baby should jump, sit down, raise his hands, etc.
3. The fastest. Children are given cards with a certain number. After that, the leader says to collect apples in the amount corresponding to the number on the card. It can be complicated due to the condition under which it is necessary to find less than the declared number or more.

Any training forchild in the above ways is like a game for children. Learning to count on the example of fascinating cards and in motion, which is more entertaining for the crumbs.

Learning to write numbers

Teaching children to write numbers should also be done in the game. Lay out numbers from pebbles, draw in the sand, sculpt from plasticine. The creative process is very captivating for children, respectively, the results of learning will be high.

Older children can be offered to draw numbers with paints or chalk. Usually guys a year before school can already write all the numbers from 0 to 10.

Is the child ready to learn math

In order to find out whether children quickly count in their minds or not, you should apply tasks related to addition and subtraction in the learning process. We lay out several objects of the same type in front of the baby and ask the question:

- How many apples are there?

- Two, - the baby will answer.

- When I add another apple, how many will there be? the parent asks.

- Three, the baby replies.

Only after such a dialogue, we lay out the third apple, and the child is convinced that he was right.

- You're right, there are three apples. And if grandma eats one, how many will be left? Mom asks.

If the child answered the question correctly, then you can move on to more complex examples, since the baby is most likely already ready to solve addition and subtraction problems.

Learning on the move

In the modern market of children's goods you can find a variety oftalking toys. Parents should take a closer look at the rug with "speaking" numbers. The bottom line is that when the baby jumps, the rug "pronounces" the number.

You can replace this method with the usual one by drawing numbers on it in cells from 1 to 10.

Multiple games:

1. Counting to 10 for kids. The kid jumps on the numbers and says “one”, “two”, “three”, etc. You can start with 5 cells, as soon as the kid correctly points to the number and calls it, you can move on to learning numbers from 6 to 10.
2. Next, let's move on to addition. Jumping twice on the “one” cell, the baby must pronounce the answer, that is, it will be “two”.
3. Adding items. The child jumps with a container filled with, say, small balls and says: "put 1 ball, add one more and get 2" or "add 2 more balls, and get 4".

Performing such operations, the baby does not understand why they are called subtraction or addition. Such concepts are still difficult for him to understand. Over time, the child will get used to it and begin to realize the meaning. Therefore, the process in which we learn to count should be easy and calm for children.

Solving puzzles

There are many mind-focused tasks that provide serious preparation for solving math problems.

It is equally useful to teach a child to come up with puzzles on his own, such a two-sided approach gives an effective result of logical understanding incalculation sequences.

Start simple: two gray cats were sitting near the house. 2 red kittens ran up to them. How many kittens have there been?

Could be harder: how many bowls of food does it take for all the kittens to eat?

Hints can be used. Set tasks and invite the child to imagine how two kittens are sitting, then two more come up. When the baby "sees" the picture, it becomes much easier to calculate.

Another popular method for understanding problem solving is schematic drawings. Thanks to them, teaching counting to preschool children is much easier. Children at this age can already draw geometric shapes. You can draw a rectangle in the form of a box for vegetables. Let there be 5 tomatoes in the first box, and 2 cucumbers in the second. Cucumbers poured over tomatoes. We are waiting for an answer from the child, in which box are the vegetables now. At the beginning of the learning process, it is better to give preference to the same type of products, that is, in each of the boxes there was a certain number of apples, they were poured into the third box.

There are also comparison and equation preparatory tasks, but this is complex material taught to primary school children.

Advice to parents

Here are the main tips that will help parents on how to teach their child to count quickly and do simple calculations:

1. Classes should be fun and conducted primarily using gaming techniques.
2. Try to give elementaryexamples. You can count trees, cats and dogs for a walk. Focus on objects that the baby is already familiar with.
3. Use numbers in your daily life. When asked to give or bring something, say the amount. When shopping at the store, ask your baby to serve 1 pack of cottage cheese, etc.
4. For preschoolers, math games are suitable: lotto, dominoes, as well as cubes with numbers and the like.
5. As you go about your daily activities, also try to focus on numbers. Tell your baby how many plates and cups you put on the table or the number of forks you put. It is believed that life examples bear fruit from learning faster than the use of popular techniques and games.
6. Exercise regularly and use persistence.

How to teach a child to count? Each child develops individually. Some will be able to do the calculations after a short training, and some will need time to learn how to count up to 20.

Don't get angry or scold the child. Practice regularly with your child and praise for every correct answer. And remember, if the child does not want to count, perhaps the time when it is time for the baby to master the numbers has not yet come. Don't rush things!